EMPOWERMENT OF THE WORK FORCE-A LAUDABLE SCHEME OF IMMENSE RELEVANCE IN INDIA

Food industry in India is so widely scattered that except for a few large manufacturers, most others function under anonymity with least exposure to development organizations wishing to help them. Also true is the fact that majority of food industry is confined to the micro and small scale sector eking out a living through their low production base. Whether it is technology, finance or policy support they are the orphans of the food sector but still they survive just because of their extra ordinary sense of entrepreneurship, persistence and perseverance and limited ambition. On hand this may sound dismal but looking from a positive angle, this sector of industry provides the greatest potential for national economical growth provided there is a revisit on the part of the government regarding their precise needs and desirable ways they can be addressed.

Food industry in India is in an unfortunate situation as there is no agency in the country which can provide new entrepreneurs with the most critical input for organizing production, viz the technological means. Of course on paper there are several public funded technological organizations funded by the state and central governments including universities supposed to be doing R & D in food processing and allied activities but the ground reality is that not even a single such institution is of any use under the prevailing conditions, most of them unwilling to entertain small entrepreneurs for providing the critical requirement of process technology and project conception. It is a contradiction that the very industry these institutions want to court, viz the large scale manufacturers are least interested in buying any technology from them due to a number of reasons, least of which is the unreliability and lack of confidentiality so necessary in a competitive market place. Khadi and Village Industry Commission and its state Boards have become irrelevant long back after the shift of government priority from small industries to mega players, both domestic as well as international.

Assuming that an entrepreneur is able to access to the needed technology, the next important input is trained personnel and the most practical route is to pinch one of the experienced personnel from his competitor. To day's food technology training programs in the country are tuning out elites for the benefit of large industry where remuneration varies from Rs 20,000 to 50,000 for a food technologist coming out of the university with very little skill and resources needed to manage a processing unit. Of course those fully "trained" technologists are put through the production drill and skills are horned further by the employers. Can a small industry in food processing afford such graduates at such high costs? For argument sake it can be said that food related courses are now being offered in almost all universities with varying syllabus but having no facilities for real hands-on training that is so vital to inject the practical skills. There used to be some Industry Training Institutes where food technology courses were being offered conferring a diploma degree but it is not known whether these course are still an option for those aspiring to enter food industry.

It is not that government is not aware of the need for skilled people to work in various sectors because according Indian Government's own projections the country may need about 5 million such personnel to work on the shop floors of different industrial units. Probably this realization has persuaded the government to launch its much thought out Vocational Training Centers (VTP) under its Modular Employable Program (MES) scheme which has proved to be a popular skill upgrading tool. According to the web site of the Ministry of Labor and Employment there are about 7125 such VTP units spread across the country in more than 1400 skill categories. The budget provision which was a meager Rs 220 crore last year was increased to Rs 700 crore this year. Though many semi skilled workers undergoing the training do get jobs with out such training, with the certificate of training provided, their skill level is supposed to be upgraded, attracting better quality employment by the industry concerned.

In spite of all the draw backs associated with all government schemes, this particular one, VTP deserves full appreciation because it fulfills a need and increases the employability of those with no formal education or very little education. It is not known whether food processing is in the list of skills for which VTPs are in existence. Even if exists it might be relatively few in number and therefore government must consider including all vocations associated with handling and processing of foods. If the main stream food industry can be roped in for in-plant training facilities for these skill upgraded personnel there is nothing like that! Small scale food processing units in this country, millions in number, will be ever grateful for such a change in the existing MES program.
  

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

   

SWEET MAKING TECHNOLOGY-NEW TRAINING PROGRAM

Indian traditional foods, often called the Ethnic Foods number over 5000 and are prepared and consumed locally with very little national foot print. Why? The main reason is the difficulty in keeping these products for long with out quality deterioration and assured safety. Most of them have water activity much beyond the safe zone and are vulnerable to spoilage by microorganisms like bacteria and mold. True many of them contain high sugar which also provides extended storage. How ever for establishing a pan-India market, food products need to be stable for at least 3-4 months. Though with reliable cold chain transport and storage their shelf life can be extended for a few days or a couple of weeks, slow growth of organized retail sector with modern facilities, which controls less than 5% of the retailing business, does not ensure seamless distribution, reliable cold display facilities and strong sales promotional regime.

The mere diversity of sweetmeat and savory products makes it difficult for the food industry to pick and choose the right product mix that can ensure nation wide acceptance. It is most unfortunate that even after 64 years of independence, there are no reliable and comprehensive information base regarding these foods, their relative popularity, production details and authentic recipes and preparation methods. Most of these products are made at the micro-enterprises level managed by skilled artisans with some experience and practically no mechanized production equipment are available for increasing productivity if they are to be part of the main stream food industry. The most "reputed" food research institute with a history of more than 60 years has done very little to look at these products from a technological perspective. Catering training institutions with their emphasis on preparing their trainees for making prepared foods in eateries and hotels and presenting them attractively are constrained to go beyond recipes and preparation mode because of limited technical capability. Probably there is a need to set up "culinology" institutions in India which can combine recipes, preparations, process standardization and mechanization as the existing R & D players in the country have miserably failed to bring to surface the fantastic potential of Indian traditional foods to capture the imagination of the world, through their sheer negligence.

One may be tempted to ask the question as to how the industry is meeting the current needs of the market for some of the favorite foods in great demand, if large scale production facilities are not in existence and any one even faintly familiar with this industry knows that what is being offered through thousands of sweetmeat shops in the country have their origin in small homes and kitchens prepared by one or hundreds of artisans in hostile environment with sweat pouring from their bodies and presented attractively in small as well as big shops. Most "industrial" type kitchens employ these artisans who are mostly illiterate and who have very little knowledge about hygiene and sanitation though some units do deploy some mechanized unit operation equipment like grinders, mixers, fryers, stainless steel containers, pumps, extruder etc. There are also a few large scale players who do manufacture some traditional foods for pan-India markets using modern fryers, vacuum evaporators, continuous forming machine, canning facilities, inert gas filling units, modern packing materials, gas fired and electrical heating systems and others, rightly claiming to be technology savvy. Products like potato chips, canned gulab jamun and rasagolla, preserved shreekand, tetrapack lassi and chaas, inert gas filled snacks, roti and papads, chikki, spice mixes, traditional meal preparations in RTE format, many frozen products etc are coming from main stream food industry with well developed modern manufacturing facilities.

If there is a slow but perceptible trend of large manufacturing enterprises enjoying brand reputation entering the traditional food line, there must be money in this area of business. While technology, trained work force and financial resources are the foundation for a sound manufacturing entity, it is only in the area of good quality labor that organized industry feels the pinch and if they are not able to sustain themselves against SMEs it is only because their products do not compare well with that of SMEs with regard to authenticity and eating quality. This is where a trained working force will help them to bring up the credentials of their products. The million dollar question is from where they will get these personnel? The high tech courses run by Universities in food processing are not relevant as far as traditional food manufacture is concerned and any how a university trained food technologist will never agree to be a "Halwai" in the industry! The need for a short duration training course to benefit the traditional food industry is increasingly being felt and it is time for the AICTE to evolve a training course of the above type for universities and other technical institutions in different parts of the country on a priority basis.

While on the subject of training in ethnic food manufacture, the recent decision by a private institute in Orissa to start a one year course in sweet making for the benefit of local industry is a welcome development. Bikalananda Kar Industrial Training Centre at Salepur in Cuttack district has recently announced the launching of a one-year certificate course in sweet technology soon which if materializes may be the first such course in the country. According to the organizers the course is aimed at creating skilled manpower in sweet industry and stream lining local industry with use of modern technology and hygienic practices. As per the details provided the trainees, 64 in number every year with a Class X education, are expected to learn the art of preparing modern and traditional sweets popular locally. If learned food processing teaching faculty from the nearby Jadavpur University in West Bengal can pitch in to "train the trainers" through a well designed program, the course will become a technically sound one. Any such course must cover in a simple language preferably in local language various aspects of food processing operations relevant , machinery that can be used, importance of hygiene and sanitation, waste disposal, water quality, food safety and quality control, food microbiology, food contamination and food packaging. Tendency to over emphasize theory must be avoided as the trainees will have relatively low science awareness and practical aspects must receive priority.

It is good to see a new awareness being created regarding the heritage foods and their importance for the country. If their rich culinary qualities and nutritional advantages are rightly emphasized, there is no reason why Indian foods cannot capture the imagination of the whole world. What is needed is to accord high priority to them by the public funded R & D agencies and Universities in the country for making them more science based than artisan dependent and provide the industry with minimally trained work force. Institutions like the one in Cuttack must be replicated all over the country for which GOI and State governments should extend liberal financial support.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP-NEED OF THE HOUR

Can food industry be run without adequately qualified and trained technical personnel? It depends on the scale of operation and volume of business involved. As a matter of necessity handling of foods whether at home or eateries or processing industry, must be left to people with elementary knowledge about the health risks involved at various stages like storing, cleaning, preparation, holding and consumption. A house hold kitchen is generally managed by the female head of the family or a servant employed with some awareness about cleanliness and there is no formal training as they learn the basics through inheritance from their parents besides gleaning from early education in schools. An eatery primarily employs people for their culinary skills though servers and cleaners are chosen keeping in mind the general cleanliness.

In contrast food processing industry has to be more careful and stringent in taking personnel for floor level operations and management of the same with least hiccup. As the centralized processing and packing call for personnel knowledgeable about technological procedures, formal training is often necessary which takes place in Universities and specialized food technology institutions. Though this is an ideal requirement, many micro enterprises and home-scale processors do not have the wherewithal to employ such personnel due to high cost of hiring them. In such cases production is largely managed by the entrepreneurs themselves with able bodied skilled assistants with some past experience. In countries like India most industrial units engaged in food processing, especially in the informal sector do not have properly trained personnel and their survival depends on the ability of the entrepreneurs to use common sense for maintaining quality and safety. Raising a pool of technicians who have the credentials to work in a food processing factory is an urgent necessity and institutions for such training need to be established in large numbers through out the country.

Organized food industry however regularly employs food technology graduates from Universities without much of an "hands-on experience" and these new recruits become well versed with various facets of processing and their management within a few weeks. They are able to perform well because they are equipped with the fundamental knowledge of food and its diverse characteristics. It is true that any decent food industry must have specialists in food technology, quality control including microbiological assessment of raw as well as finished goods and food packaging. While a well equipped food technologist can do all these functions, they are reluctant being engaged in routine analytical jobs, preferring floor level responsibilities. Thus what food industry needs is a mix of food technologists, food engineers and industrial managers for successful running of a production unit.

In India presently there are several Universities offering technology courses specifically for employment by the food industry but most of these teaching shops are ill equipped to turn out appropriate candidates meeting the needs of the industry. They have neither the teachers with adequate knowledge about food industry nor the specialized pilot plant facilities so necessary for a balanced training. In some western countries there are industry-university partnership programs designed to train skilled personnel for employment by the industry. The most recent example is offered by the landmark 5-year partnership agreement concluded recently between University of Queensland and the Australian Food and Grocery Council that will address the problem of shortage of skilled personnel in that country trained in food technology. It is the enlightening and visionary thinking on the part of the industry body that provided the spur for such a constructive and collaborative training project. The idea is to attract talented students into food science and technology careers in the industry which can offer rewarding roles in management, R & D in product formulation and nutrition and production control aspects. They need to be better equipped to meet a range of challenges including sustainability, food labeling laws, food safety needs, packaging complexities, consumer aspirations and government policies.

India is a country where the critical role played by food technologists is rarely appreciated and the organized industry has to take the blame for this sorry situation. Many multi national industry giants routinely visit University campuses, pick up candidates of their choice at high remunerations and provide their industry specific training which makes them unfit for other disciplines of food processing. What is needed to day is the coming together of Universities and the industry bodies like CII, CIFTI, ASSOCHAM etc to massively fund selected Universities to upgrade their training facilities into world class centers. The example of catering industry or the Nurses training system prevalent in the country is worth following because large hotels own some of the catering training centers while large hospitals run nurses training centers in their premises to turn out well developed personnel for their industry. Can we think of food technology training centers owned and operated by major players like Kellogg's, Nestle, Pepsi, Coca Cola or others with organic linkage with some recognized Universities? Or how about a CII supported Food Technology Training Center in universities like Mumbai, Kanpur or Jadavpur which have already established their credentials in food technology during the last few decades? If there is a will there is a way! More than any thing there must be a far-sighted vision on the part of the food industry in the country for achieving well defined goals ahead.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

FOOD INDUSTRY WAKING UP TO HRD REALITIES-INDIAN DEVELOPMENT

The quality and quantity of manpower deployed by Indian food industry never received the attention it deserved so far which has resulted in lop-sided development of this vital sector. The exercise by the industry association in assessing this aspect vis-a-vis food industry is indeed timely. The manufacturing industry needs workers for low end operations for managing day to day production activity while qualified personnel are required for supervision and coordination. There are many teaching "shops" in the country with practically no facilities awarding "degrees" and according to FICCI these graduates are not found adequately "equipped" to manage their operations efficiently. It is a sad reflection on the food technology teaching system in the country which is caught in a time warp, not moving with time and ignorant of modern developments in the subject. The report is timely and highly relevant and AICTE or UGC or HRD Ministry or the MFPI must give due consideration to the suggestions made by the industry. Here is what the FICCI has to say on the subject.

According to news reports, FICCI "sought government intervention to set up a dedicated fund and a high level panel for faster development of the $181- billion food processing sector that is reeling under acute shortage of skilled manpower. The rising demand for specific skill sets and available supply has eroded the competitiveness of the sector, the survey based study of Ficci said. The study on Rising Skill Demand: A Major Challenge for Indian Food Industry, reveals that about 60 per cent of the 250 participant firms were not satisfied with their employees' current level of technical skills and knowledge. As the sector is projected to become a $285-billion industry by 2015, it would face further pressure on the manpower front, the study said, adding the sector would require 23 lakh production managers, engineers, quality controllers and R&D specialists. "Meeting this demand would be challenging, since 80 per cent of the total work force in the food processing sector comprises people having lower-end skill set," it said. Due to lucrative job opportunities in other sectors, there was scarcity of production managers and engineers in this sector, which needs to be addressed, said the study".

In the survey conducted by FICCI,"Respondents felt that the courses offered by various institutions are outdated and it was imperative to review the course curriculum to match industry expectations. "The government should immediately formulate a task force of all the stakeholders...to get the course curriculum across all institutions and training institutes reviewed and updated," it said. The chamber also felt there was a need for immediate adoption of ITI's by the food processing industry in various clusters to upgrade the lower-end skills. Besides, the government should allocate separate budget for human resource development for the sector for enhancing and upgrading skills, it said. The food processing industry should partner with food technology/processing institutes on a pilot basis for up gradation of higher-end skills, it suggested".

Food industry is different from other sectors because of the high priority accorded to safety of the products they make and their influence on the consumer health. The suggestion to integrate the ITI schools with production clusters is eminently practical. The biggest hindrance in improving the quality of personnel is the grossly inadequate training infrastructure available at almost all institutions and even in a few case where there are some minimal facilities these are invariably outdated and obsolete. How can any one expect products from such moribund training institutions to be able to work in industry about which they have no prior clue. Hundreds of ITIs presently working in the country must be asked to add certification courses specialized in food processing and such trained personnel will meet the needs of the industry for floor level operations.

Probably MFPI of GOI must undertake a fast exercise to estimate the HR needs of food industry from qualitative as well as quantitative perspectives and a massive infusion of funds is absolutely necessary to upgrade the training infrastructure by setting up small scale multi-operation machinery for hands on experience. Involvement of industry will be useful and since FICCI has raised this issue, this is the ripe time to strike a deal with them to offer training avenues for graduates in their processing facilities. The course content must be drastically altered and completion of graduation must be linked to a minimum apprenticeship of 6 months to 1 year in an active industry for inculcating the industry culture. Active steps also are called for upgrading the skills and knowledge base of the teaching community that will shape future food technologists.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com